Blaise Pascal

Blaise Pascal (1623-1662) was a French mathematician, physicist, inventor, philosopher, and theologian who was a contemporary of Rene Descartes. He made significant contributions to the fields of geometry and probability theory, most notably Pascal's Triangle and his work in developing probability theory. Pascal also did pioneering work in fluid mechanics, particularly with his studies of pressure and vacuum. He also invented the Pascaline, an early mechanical calculator, to help his father, a tax collector. Voltaire and Nietzsche respected him for his philosophical contributions and opposition to aspects of Descartes' Epistemology. His most enduring work is his posthumorous Pensées, in which he outlined his argument for belief in God, known as Pascal's Wager. Pascal's work is renouned for his complex commentary on Faith and Reason in relation to the Enlightenment and Reformation.